


We want the same thing

by hllfire



Series: Cherik Week 2020 Works [2]
Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad use of Telepathy, Character Death, Charles Has Officially Lost His Marbles, Dark Charles Xavier, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Not X-Men: Dark Phoenix Compliant, Protective Erik Lehnsherr, Violence, kinda? idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:00:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24503500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hllfire/pseuds/hllfire
Summary: Charles is locked up underground, where his telepathy won't be a problem, deemed too dangerous now to be kept free. Erik pays a visit.Fill for the Day 2 of Cherik Week: Dark!Charles.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Series: Cherik Week 2020 Works [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769767
Comments: 16
Kudos: 112
Collections: Cherik Week 2020





	We want the same thing

**Author's Note:**

> This is supposed to happen after the events of X-Men Apocalypse, a few years after, and completely dismisses Dark Phoenix.
> 
> If you had the chance to talk to me you know I love Dark!Charles. I have written something about it before but it was small and just a quick idea, and this took me some time to write because I was never really satisfied with it lmao (I may have erased 2k words from it while writing because I got frustrated 'cause it was not going where I wanted and started all over again multiple times, oops). This is the version of it that made me more satisfied, and I really hope you guys like this! In the end I ended up liking it myself so here you go!

When Erik stepped into the holding cell, his heart skipped a beat, the situation around him suddenly becoming too real.

He didn't believe it at first, when Hank had appeared at his door in Genosha at eight in the evening with a crazed and desperate gaze in his eyes, stumbling on his own words as he told Erik what happened, voice rough from either screaming or crying. Maybe both. He should've believed just for the simple fact that Hank didn't like him, so for Hank to be there it couldn't been a lie or a false alarm, but he didn't. It was too surreal for him to believe. He didn't believe it even after he was in a jet with Hank, whose hands kept shaking violently as he tried his best to keep calm. He didn't believe it when he entered a high security facility and when he heard the news of protests spreading through New York on the radio that was laying on a small table there, the whole thing seeming like a dream.

 _"Anti-mutant groups are gathering in front of New York's City Hall this evening, many carrying posters with words of prejudice against the mutants."_ the man on the radio said, voice somber as each word left his mouth, the radio's static making his words sound like some horror story. Erik's eyes stared at the device as he walked past it, seeing the human guard that was listening to the news look back at him with some kind of worry in his gaze. _"There's a response group formed by mutants and allies arriving there to go against the anti-mutant protesters, reports say they're arriving in big numbers as well. The NYPD is said to be arriving shortly and we all hope this doesn't get out of hand. All of the tumult started because of the case that happened last night in the Westchester County-"_

He still didn't believe it when he saw the prison that remembered Erik of his days locked at the Pentagon, guards searching him up and down for weapons and a few of them giving him a suspicious look as they recognized Erik.

"If you try something," one of the guards said, dark eyes shining with danger towards the mutant and making Erik narrow his own eyes. "we have orders to shoot to kill."

He didn't believe it as he entered the elevator to go down to the lower levels of the facility, deep under the ground, where a person would be secluded from the world above. He still didn't believe it when he saw the guards with helmets that looked like the one he used whenever he wanted to block a certain telepath out of his head. It was not the same helmet, but it was close. This one, Erik noticed, was fully made of metal. He could control. He ended up receiving one of them as well and putting it with reluctance, the helmet bringing back too many memories as Erik felt its weight over his head.

He only believed the whole situation when he saw the giant glass prison under many levels of dirt and concrete, walls kept at a dull and depressing grey but the many lights kept everything annoyingly bright. Inside of the glass cell there was the lone prisoner, hands strapped to his body by a straightjacket — Erik had seen a few guards with scratches on their faces that seemed to be made by nails, which would explain the need for the straightjacket — while his legs were left alone since there was no need to restrain them, specially because there was no wheelchair there. There were electrodes strapped to his forehead, his head hanging low as he sat there. He only believed the whole situation once he saw the screens monitoring the brain waves from that man through those electrodes, making sure they were stable, that Charles was controlled, the reality of it all hitting Erik as if the ceiling was falling on top of him and burying him alive on that hole on the ground.

Charles Xavier was locked up.

Charles Xavier had committed a crime.

_Charles Xavier had killed._

His throat went dry when he realized what it meant, when he realized that the story that Hank had told him in a hurry and probably with missing pieces thanks to the man's despair had been real, and what had happened for Charles to do what he did.

Charles was with Raven on the streets last night, they were talking, getting back together. They grew up together after all, Charles had always called Raven his sister. They were getting back together, salvaging their relationship that had been left in shambles thanks to everything that happened between them, and Charles might have been happy that night, happy that his only family growing up was given back to him. He had said he wanted to do it for a while, to make up for everything he and Raven went through, for their separation. And maybe they were managing to do it while they walked through the city together that night, and maybe both of them had been happy. Until that happiness had been stripped away.

Hank had said it was a group of humans, that they recognized both Charles and Raven, that they attacked. Anti-mutant radicals, moved by hatred. Charles had tried to stop them when Raven was about to go into a fight, but he did it too late, and, for what Hank had said before, the bullet from one of the human's gun had gone through Raven's head and she was dead and bleeding by Charles' feet in the blink of an eye. Hank had said that Charles jumped off his wheelchair, had held Raven tightly, and just as another blow was coming to kill him as well, Charles had attacked back, snapping every mind around him with a guttural scream leaving his mouth as his arms held Raven's body tightly against him.

He hadn't just killed the group that attacked them. There were passers-by that dropped dead at the moment that Charles had thrown his blow, although not all of the passers-by had died, making Erik believe it was a calculated blow after all. The authorities arrived shortly, sedating the Professor before dragging him away from Raven's body, and when he tried to fight back when the sedative wore out, they had locked him here, monitored by the electrodes and kept where his telepathy wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, body sedated heavily to keep him and his anger at bay. Some part of Erik's brain still told him that it was a lie, that it wasn't Charles there and that Raven was alive and well, but those were just hopeful thoughts. The man locked up in front of him showed that those hopes were foolish.

"You need to talk to him," Hank had said, voice cracking under all of the emotions going through him at that moment when they were still at Genosha. "He doesn't listen to anyone anymore. Maybe he'll listen to you."

Now, there he was, watching Charles sitting on a chair with his upper body carefully trapped so he wouldn't move, a tube connected from his neck to a machine next to him that probably was what kept him sedated whenever the moment came — they had allowed him to stay awake at the news of Erik's visit, so they could talk without Charles falling asleep in the middle of conversation. It all looked extremely wrong to Erik, to see Charles locked there as if he was dangerous. It was hard to believe after everything they went through together that Charles was dangerous when he refused to even get into Erik's head most of the time.

After a few seconds, Erik finally noticed that Charles was singing. His voice was soft and calm through the speakers that echoed his words to the other side of the glass with some interference, sometimes coughing slightly as if his throat was dry, eyes tightly shut as he sang, not noticing Erik's arrival thanks to the helmet that Erik was wearing.

_"Two little boys had two little toys, each had a wooden horse. Gaily they played each summer's day, warriors both of course…"_

Erik recognized that song, had heard it before on the radio long ago, and he was pretty sure he had heard Charles sing it to himself in one of their encounters through the years. It took a moment for him to remember that Charles had said once that it was a song he and Raven would sing together when they were kids, and his heart clenched as Charles sang the next lines.

_"One little chap then had a mishap, broke off his horse's head. Wept for his toy then cried with joy as his young playmate said-"_

_"Did you think I would leave you crying, when there's room on my horse for two."_ Erik sang back, voice as soothing as it could be as Charles' eyes snapped up immediately, watching Erik with curiosity and surprise when he finally recognized him. _"Climb up here Jack and don't be crying, I can go just as fast with two."_

"Erik." Charles said in his hoarse voice, a greeting of sorts, still filled with surprise.

"Hello, Charles."

It was somewhat surreal to look at the telepath like this, almost like it was someone else there and not the man he met so many years ago. That man that was locked in that cell wasn't the same man who pulled Erik from the water when they first met, the man locked inside that prison wore Charles Xavier's face and voice, but he wasn't him, or at least it shouldn't be him. His eyes seemed more dangerous now, like he was on the brink of exploding, and Erik had to be careful about what he said and his movements around the telepath, because there was a chance that the ticking bomb behind Charles' eyes would take Erik with it once it went off. 

_Weird and wrong feelings,_ Erik thought to himself, _to have towards Charles._

Charles took a moment to focus his eyes, pupils wide and leaving only a thin slit of blue visible thanks to the amount of drugs they were using to sedate him — probably still under some influence of the sedatives if his eyes were any clue —, and he looked almost confused when he saw Erik staring back at him. Erik didn't move or say anything anymore, only waited, seeing the man huff out a laugh as the corner of his mouth moved up slightly, a half smile on his cracked and dry lips.

The smile died down when Charles' eyes moved to the helmet on Erik's head, gaze turning angry, fury burning behind his irises as if he hated the existence of that object with his whole soul. It blocked Charles, kept him from using his powers, and Erik understood the anger. Not having his powers could be uncomfortable, almost as if he was being denied one of his senses. Charles had spent a period of time without his telepathy after what happened in Cuba, after he lost his legs. They had talked pretty recently about that in one of Charles' visits to Genosha to help Erik administer the island. They talked about that bad period of their lives after realizing that they never really talked about it before, and Charles had confessed that it was awful at first, never really getting used to not being able to feel the minds around him. It helped him sleep, but left him more alone than he already felt. The memory of that night was still bright in Erik's mind, still brought him warmth to remember the way they had been close, the way Erik had held Charles close as the telepath spilled everything that once bothered him for Erik to listen.

Now, Erik was blocking Charles from feeling the only mind he was capable of feeling in miles thanks to that prison, and was separated from him by a thick layer of glass and a straightjacket. This thought was the reason why he decided to take off the helmet, to allow Charles to feel Erik's mind around him. He trusted Charles, he knew the telepath wouldn't hurt him, and there were no need for him to hide anymore. Those days were over, ended on that day in Egypt when Erik decided Charles was more important than his rage, that he would go against anything if it meant Charles was there and safe and by his side. That action, the taking off of the helmet, made Charles' eyes soften slightly, wild expression never really leaving, but now Erik knew that Charles thought the same, that he wouldn't hurt Erik even with the clear anger that still burned behind his eyes, because that anger wasn't towards Erik. He almost looked more calm when he was able to feel Erik's mind again, a beacon of light in the middle of the darkness he was put into.

"Hank sent you." it was all that he said, voice hoarse and deep inside his cell being transmitted through the speakers.

It wasn't a question, and Erik couldn't honestly say if Charles had plucked the thought from his mind or if he just supposed so, but Erik nodded anyway, making his way to a lonely chair on his side of the glass, sitting down without allowing his eyes to leave Charles at any moment.

"He explained what happened with you last night."

"So you know that Raven is dead." 

His voice sounded painful as he said the last word, as if all the calm he had before — which wasn't much — had left him, and now there was only that dangerous fire there, Raven's death triggering something inside the telepath. The reading on the monitors spiked up all of the sudden and Erik felt a small pressure on the back of his head, Charles' power expanding before retreating subtly when he noticed the beeping of the monitors, immediately widening his eyes as if he had done something wrong.

He looked like a cornered animal, eyes moving from the monitors next to Erik and to the machine that was hooked to him, as if he was afraid of a new dose of sedative going into his system and making him lose his conscience again. Erik watched with an ache in his chest as the man tried to control his breathing, the monitors showing how his level of adrenaline had spiked up with the small happening, pupils even wider now as his eyes moved in a desperate manner through the ground under him, trying to calm himself and keep his powers at bay so he wouldn't have to be drugged again while Erik was there. It was heartbreaking.

Looking at Charles there was like looking at a distorted image of that kind and caring man Erik had met so many years ago, a blurry picture of the real thing, as if he was seeing him through the fragments of a broken mirror. Charles breathed deeply, eyes moving around him as if he was expecting something to happen, as if bad things would occur if he didn't get his breathing right. He eyed the machine that pumped the sedative to his veins again, wary, before finally stopping and closing his eyes, the corners of his lips twitching downwards as if he was angry. He managed to keep a leveled expression after that, eyes still closed, and lips mumbling something to himself, more verses of the song he was singing when Erik arrived. It was bizarre picture that Erik found out he hated, and he wanted more than anything to take Charles out of that cell.

"I'm sorry, Charles." Erik said, sincerity flooding his words.

He didn't know what he was sorry for. Maybe for Raven's death, maybe for the state Charles was in, maybe for not being able to go there and help him, hold him and say he's alright, calm the wild look on his eyes. Charles opened his eyes again, pupils still blown wide as he watched Erik and gave him a smirk that didn't reflect at all on his eyes. It had no real humor behind it.

"That's a first, isn't it? You feeling for me... Lord, one might say we traded places." he left out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Why did you come, Erik?"

"You said it yourself." Erik said, hand on the metal helmet he was given, letting the familiar feeling of the metal vibrating under his fingers calm him down as he felt uneasy by seeing Charles like that. "Hank sent me."

"You didn't believe I had done what he said I did." Charles' voice was serious as his eyes looked at Erik with some curiosity, and Erik noticed that Charles was in his head at that exact moment.

It was a soft feeling, like fingers brushing against his mind lightly and taking pieces of information from Erik. He had felt that sensation before, had allowed Charles to go around his mind one night when they were together, the soft feeling of Charles' own mind against Erik's calming him down at the familiarity of it. He had stopped fearing Charles' power a long time ago, had noticed that Charles wouldn't judge him anymore for the life he lived, and wouldn't pity him for the suffering he had been through. The night that he allowed Charles inside his mind fully while they shared Erik's bed in Genosha never left his mind, the sensations were always there, warming Erik's chest whenever he remembered. But he had to admit that, this time, Charles' power seemed different, almost messy in a way, making Erik frown slightly at the different sensation. Charles quickly caught that strangeness, letting out another humorless chuckle.

"Sorry, my friend." he said, voice hoarse before he coughed slightly, as if those simple words had hurt his dry throat. "It's hard to control my powers with the drugs in my veins. Forgive me if I'm too messy with it, but your mind is still very loud."

"What happened, Charles?" Erik moved forward, sitting at the edge of his seat as he watched Charles tilt his head slightly.

"I believe you-" he cut himself, coughing slightly again before he was able to talk, voice raspy. "I believe you already know."

"No, I want to hear it from you."

And he did. He ached to hear from Charles what had happened because something wasn't adding up in Erik's mind. Not when Charles was the one locked up underground and looking like he was slowly losing control over himself thanks to that. He needed Charles to say, to confirm or deny everything he had heard. Charles seemed to catch that on the other man's mind, expression showing a bit more of lucidity as he stared at Erik, looking a little more like the Charles Xavier that Erik knew.

"I did kill those people." Charles' voice was deep as he said those words, making Erik purse his lips. Confirmation, that was what Charles was giving him. "I was out with Raven when they arrived-"

His words were cut again for another coughing fit, and Erik wondered when was the last time Charles had been able to drink water or eat some food. For what Hank had told him, Charles had been locked up for twenty four hours now. For the state he was in, Erik could imagine he wasn't receiving the best of treatments. Once Charles was able to stop coughing again he groaned, apparently mad at his own dry throat, and raised his face to the ceiling.

"I'm thirsty!" he screamed to no one, coughing again and licking his lips to try and wet them to no use. His tongue seemed dry as well. "You all can't just leave me to die from thirst, and I'm sure you are listening up there…"

For a while, nothing happened, and they were engulfed by silence. Charles didn't try to talk again, letting his head hang in defeat, until a guard appeared from where Erik had came from with a big glass of water in hands and a helmet on his head. Charles' eyes were drawn to the guard, gaze hardening as he saw the helmet but not doing much more than just glare at the man as he put in a code to a door on the glass and entering the cell. Although it was still Charles there in that cell, something told Erik that it was good that the guard had the helmet on. Maybe it was Charles projecting, maybe it was just Erik's instinct, but there was danger in the air and Erik doubted the guard would live long enough to feel it if the metal wasn't around his head.

Charles' eyes moved to Erik's as he thought that, seeing the telepath raise the corner of his mouth into a smirk, almost confirming Erik's thoughts, and the strangeness of that, of knowing that Charles was tempted to shed blood — or snap a mind out of existence — was almost eerie. In all the years they knew each other, that was the only thing that Charles didn't ever seem prone to do, and yet...

The guard's eyes went to Erik for a moment, frowning under the helmet.

"Sir, you need to wear the helmet while you're around him." Charles rolled his eyes at that.

"He won't try to hurt me or use me to escape, trust me."

"He did it with the other man, the one who came here with you. Almost killed him."

Erik frowned, knowing that it could only be Hank that the guard was talking about, and his grey eyes moved to find Charles' blue ones, seeing the telepath smirk again and move his head in a dismissive gesture as if it was nothing. A chill ran up Erik's spine.

 _In my defense, Hank was being a bother,_ he heard Charles' voice in his mind, louder than usual, the lack of control over his powers thanks to the drugs making it hard for Charles to control the volume. _I wasn't going to kill Hank, the guard is exaggerating, but I did give him a migraine for him to leave me alone. He was crying and screaming and I need to thank you for not doing the same, my friend._

"Raise your head, Xavier." the guard said, waiting for Charles to do as he was told before putting the glass of water to Charles' lips and helping him drink since his hands were locked against his body.

Charles drank the water slowly, throat bobbing as he swallowed it carefully, probably making sure that it was taking away the dryness from his throat and mouth completely. Once he was finished with the water, the guard stepped back and Charles licked his lips again, and this time they finally looked wet, glistening under the white lights that lit the cell. Charles' eyes followed the guard, not saying a word until he was away and Erik was alone with him again.

"You don't seem to like the guards here." Erik was the first one to say something. Charles shrugged as best as he could with the straightjacket.

"I'm not one for holding grudges for long but I can't say that I am fond of the guards here after being kicked around like a dog, quite literally even, and after being sedated for hours on end." the telepath shook his head, smiling darkly at his own words and making Erik wonder what the guards had done to Charles, a flame of anger growing inside of him.

Charles caught that again, mind still tangled with Erik's and suddenly a few images and feelings were pushed into Erik's mind. Bright lights, sharp pain on his ribs caused by the kick of a foot, blurred faces, nails scratching a few of the faces in a moment of despair and pain, the locking of his arms against his own body, immobilized, the urge to run away or to attack, the inability of doing any of those things, the anger and the despair mixing together, the sting of a needle being pushed against his neck and a liquid burning in his veins as it went in, the sudden weakness due the drugs they injected. Erik felt his throat close at those thoughts coming from Charles, all of the feelings that he pushed into Erik's mind felt raw and almost animalistic. Basic instinct, fight of flight from a dangerous situation, and Charles hadn't been able to do either, helpless against the guards and their helmets and the sedative. Erik promised himself never to wear the helmet around Charles ever again, the thought not being missed by the telepath who exhaled softly in amusement.

"It happened before I was locked up here." Charles said, biting the inside of his mouth. "But you wanted to know what happened last night, didn't you?"

Erik hesitated, still angry at how the guards treated Charles, the violence used and the pain that Charles felt, but there was something in the telepath's face that showed Erik that there wasn't much he could do now, so he nodded, waiting for an explanation and seeing Charles sigh.

"As I was saying before, I was out with Raven when the group arrived. Seven people, most of them carrying guns, and they recognized us and started to corner us." Charles' eyes were dark again, as if he was reliving the memories in his head. Erik only listened closely. "They wanted to attack, to hurt us, and Raven lost her patience and was about to attack as well to protect the both of us. I was about to stop everyone, including Raven, when one of them took their gun out and-"

Charles took a sharp breath, closing his eyes and lowering his head, shaking it as if he wanted to shake the memories away with that gesture. Erik swallowed a lump on his throat, heart beating faster with Charles' tale. He didn't even get to say goodbye to Raven after not seeing her for years and now she was…

"I was in her mind when it happened." Charles brought back Erik's attention as he said that, seeing the telepath with an almost desperate expression on his face. The readings on the monitors seemed to waver, as if Charles was trying his best to control himself, even if it was a hard task. "You don't know what it's like, Erik, to feel like you died, like the bullet crossed your head and that the mind that shut off was yours until you realize it was someone else's. And it's not the first time it happens, is it? Although I must say, this time was way faster…"

Erik couldn't be sure if the memories came from his own mind or if it was Charles manipulating his mind, but he saw flashes of old memories, of a coin and of a face Erik had stopped thinking about for a long time. Flashes of Erik's eyes hard towards that man and of the pain of the coin slowly going through his head, but bruising more than one mind. He heard the sound of a painful scream that sounded a lot like Charles'. Once the flashes stopped, he saw that it was, indeed, Charles' doing that those memories had came back to Erik's mind in vivid details from the way that the telepath was staring at him through the glass. He didn't seem angry, it was only an example, a taste of what Charles was talking about for Erik to understand. They had talked about the happening before, about Shaw and the coin, and Erik knew Charles had long ago stopped resenting him for it. Still, Erik couldn't help but hate the idea that Charles had to experience that feeling because of him.

"It didn't hurt like the first time. Too quick to hurt. But I felt as if I had just died, I felt the mind of my sister go blank and disappear in a second, and it took a moment for me to realize that _she_ was dead next to me and that _she_ was the one who died." Charles swallowed a lump on his throat, voice breaking for a moment as he seemed to do his best not to cry. "They didn't kill me right after because they wanted to see me crawl to her, Erik. Wanted me to jump from my chair and drag my body to hold her as I cried. I felt all of their minds, felt the twisted pleasure they got from all of that…"

Erik's own stomach twisted with his words, rage flaring under Erik's skin towards the humans who had done that, who had killed Raven and watched in pleasure as Charles cried on the ground for his dead sister without being able to get up, mixing with his previous anger towards the guards. Charles seemed to feel that, to feel the fire burning behind Erik's eyes, and he chuckled.

 _No need to be angry now, my friend,_ Charles' voice said in his mind before he spoke again.

"They're dead now. I made sure of that. Them and everyone around who didn't raise a hand to help, or that looked and thought that Raven deserved to die when they saw her blue skin." Charles grimaced, moving slightly inside his straightjacket, as if he wanted to free his hands even if he couldn't. "Those anti-mutant groups are growing everyday… I thought I could make a change in the world by showing them we could live together, but we can't, can we? God, Erik, in the end you were right…"

Erik knew what Charles was talking about, even if the news didn't spread as fast in Genosha. He'd heard of anti-mutant movements growing and growing after the whole problem in Egypt that Erik helped to cause before changing sides when he saw he'd lose Charles if he didn't. He had heard the news on the radio as he arrived there to see Charles, about the protests that were happening as they spoke. People were scared of mutants now after that demonstration of power, and even if Erik had managed to get the rights to that small island he called home now, he knew it was just a matter of time for someone to strip him and everyone that lived in Genosha from their homes, from the safe haven that Erik had helped create, because humans were afraid and because, for them, he would always be Magneto. Charles probably knew even more about those movements than Erik did, and he had experienced first hand an attack from them. 

"Do you have any news about the school?" Charles asked suddenly, eyes incredibly clear now, fear for his children winning over anger and pain as he looked at Erik.

"No, I'm sorry. Hank brought me straight here to talk to you." the man huffed at that, anger slipping back behind his eyes once more.

"What does he expect? Me to regret what I've done?" Charles almost growled, shaking his head and looking at Erik pointedly, almost as if he was daring Erik to try to make him regret his actions, but Erik really didn't want to do that and didn't think Charles should regret what he had done. Not after he told Erik what had happened for it to happen in the first place. "I regret nothing. They killed my sister and were planning to kill me and others like us. They had it coming. Besides, even if I did regret it, they wouldn't just set me free- _Stop_ thinking that this isn't me, Erik."

Erik widened his eyes slightly at that once he saw the murderous look in Charles' blue eyes, shining like the edge of a knife, as dangerous as one. There was danger in the air as Charles slowly lost his patience from his own anger towards everything that was happening and Erik's insistent thoughts. And Erik _was_ thinking that this wasn't the Charles Xavier he knew, because that man in front of him had just changed completely. The Charles Xavier he knew before would regret using his powers like the man on the other side of the glass had done, would be in shambles at just the thought of doing that because he thought he didn't need to do it, that he could change the world by always being kind and hoping for the good in other people's hearts, when not everyone had that good inside of them. He knew Charles suffered before, had gone through pain, and yet he held on tight to that hope that he could change the world without giving back the suffering he received. But that was then, and now those blue eyes had a different glint to them.

Charles had enough. The man looking at Erik now had a different flame burning inside of his eyes. It wasn't like Erik's all those years ago, it wasn't for revenge, specially because he had already killed the people who brought him pain, who killed his family. It was a fire that showed Erik that his old hopes were gone, that he gave up on putting his faith in the wrong people, in people who would never listen, who would kill him and everyone he loves just for being different. But it didn't mean that his hope was truly gone, it meant it changed sides, and Erik knew the power that Charles Xavier's hope withheld, and what it meant for that hope to be on the other side now.

In his eyes, there was a flame that showed that he'd seen enough, that the view he had of the world around him had changed, and — for the first time in years — Charles and Erik both seemed to want the same thing.

Charles seemed to pick that up from Erik's mind, a small smile appearing on Erik's lips of solidarity as Charles' gaze softened. He had realized that too. 

All of the sudden, the machine next to Charles started beeping slowly, catching both of their attentions. The next dose of sedative would be coming soon, which meant that Erik's visiting time was coming to an end, and Charles groaned at that, shaking his head and going back to look at Erik, knowing now that there wouldn't be much more time for then to talk.

"It's only gonna get worse, isn't it?" Charles asked, voice low again as he sighed. "They killed Raven, I killed them. This could be the spark that both sides were waiting to start a war…"

"It already did, my friend. While you're withering down here, people are on the streets right now because of what happened last night." Charles sighed again, pursing his lips and letting his eyes fall to his lap for a second.

"It's going to be out of control soon…"

"They'll come for your school." Erik shook his head with the idea, Charles' eyes snapping back at him with a ferocity Erik had never seen before, as if the idea of someone getting to his school to hurt the children made him want to taste blood. "And they'll come to Genosha. Raven will be a martyr for the mutants and the humans you killed will be the martyr for the humans. I don't even know if they'll allow you to live after that, but that would just add flame to the fire. I'm sorry to say, Charles, but you could have just started a war."

"And I suppose you'll be on the front lines?"

Erik smiled at the comment, seeing Charles expression change ever so slightly from the anger and annoyance to some kind of playfulness, even if it was barely visible.

"I will." he answered, seeing Charles' snort, shaking his head. "But I want you by my side."

Charles' brow furrowed at that, curiosity shining in his eyes as Erik got up from his chair and smiled easily at the telepath, the beeping of the machine slowly increasing its rhythm. Time was ticking. 

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm pretty sure I can't really leave."

 _A long time ago, you saved my life. Then you offered me a home,_ Erik thought, making sure that only Charles would hear his words as he stood there, seeing the telepath picking up his message immediately. _I'd like to do the same for you. But I need to know that you'll be by my side…_

Charles was still frowning until he caught a glimpse of Erik's thoughts and what he had planned, the hope that Charles would say yes to that plan and go with him loud in his mind. The beeping of the machine was the only sound between them. Charles' eyes softened for a moment before he took a deep breath, demeanor now less wild than what it was when Erik first arrived there, some kind of satisfaction hidden behind his face.

 _It'd be nice to fight alongside with you from the start for once,_ Charles sent over to Erik's mind, more controlled this time, focused. _Me by your side, and you by mine. Like we should've been all those years._

Erik smiled, finding himself satisfied with Charles' answer as well, both of their expressions changing as the beeping from the machine got louder and faster. Charles' eyes looked at Erik with urgency behind them, a silent plea, and Erik raised his hand, feeling the metal on the needle that was inside Charles' body. Before the sedative got to Charles, a flick of Erik's fingers moved the needle away, making it fall to the ground and spill the yellowish liquid all over the grey concrete of the ground as Charles winced at the pain for a moment. As soon as that happened, alarms started to go off. Erik looked at Charles once more, seeing a smile appearing on the man's lips.

_Get me out, Erik._

_It'll be my pleasure._

With another movement of his hand, Erik undid the clasps that held Charles' straightjacket together, seeing the man free his arms quickly as the first guards started to appear at the door. It still seemed surreal when Erik waved his hands and made the helmets they were all wearing fly from their heads and Charles quickly took the chance to freeze them in place before they all fell to the ground like puppets. Erik frowned when he noticed the guards weren't dead, looking at Charles' face with curiosity, and the telepath only shrugged.

"I'm still coming down from the last dose of the drugs. I think killing someone, let alone five people, will tire me out. Besides, there's no necessity now that you're here." Erik nodded, seeing the man put his fingers over his temple for a second. "The code for the door is 33419. And no, Erik, you can't shatter the glass with the metal here. It's too thick, it would take too long."

"Are you just going to stay in my head now?" Erik smirked, moving through the unconscious bodies to reach the door and putting in the code.

"You're the one thinking loudly here, my friend. I can't run from your mind for too long. It's like a toddler begging for attention."

Erik knew the next wave of guards would arrive shortly, so he made quick work of gathering most of the metal around the room and morphing every bit together into a small seat with a backrest. Charles didn't have his wheelchair with him, they had taken it from him before putting him on a wooden chair inside of the glass prison, so Erik would have to carry Charles for the time being, and like that he could keep his hands free to fight if necessary. He finally entered the cell, seeing Charles smile at him again and raise his arms when Erik ducked for a hug, pressing the telepath's body against his for a moment and sighing in relief when he finally was able to touch Charles again. Charles held him tightly as well, hands pulling Erik's face for a moment so he could face him and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Don't get locked up again," Erik groaned, putting one of his arms on Charles' back and the other under Charles' knees, carefully picking him up from the wooden chair to place him on the hovering metal so he could carry Charles out. "that's my job."

Charles snorted, making himself comfortable and looking up at Erik with a thankful smile on his lips. He seemed tired still from everything he had endured, and Erik noticed a few marks on his arms and collarbone from the kicks he had received, making Erik take a deep breath so he wouldn't lose control completely, a few pieces of metal that were still laying around vibrating with his anger towards the people who hurt Charles.

The telepath felt that, his hand going to Erik's arm in a soothing gesture as his eyes softened considerably.

 _It's alright,_ Charles sent over to Erik's mind together with a wave of calm that made the man's rage die down a bit. _You're here now. I'm alright._

Seconds later, the next wave of guards arrived, bringing Hank with them. Both of them stopped as they saw the gun pointed to Hank's head, blue furr now visible thanks to the stress the young doctor was under, his suppressants not doing much under that circumstance.

"Stop or he dies." one of the guards said. 

"Oh _Lord,_ they're dumb- Erik, please."

Erik waved his hand on command, guns and helmets flying away as Charles put this new wave of guards to sleep. Hank looked at them with his eyes wide, not really knowing what to say, and Erik felt slightly sorry for the man. He had forgotten that Hank was up there, that his actions there would probably affect him since Hank was the one who brought him there. He just didn't feel more guilty because Hank was unharmed, so in the end it was alright.

 _"Was that your plan?"_ Hank asked, voice breaking for a second as he almost screamed. "To break him free?"

"It wasn't." Erik shrugged, pulling Charles with him as he left the cell and walked to the elevator. "It is now."

"I'm sorry, Hank. I need to be there for my children." Charles' voice sounded dark, eyes turning darker for a second, a bit of the crazed look from before staining the blue in them. "I won't make the same mistake of waiting too long like I did with Raven ever again."

"This is a bad idea…"

"Are you with us or not?"

Charles voice almost sounded like a scold as he looked back at Hank, expression filled with annoyance as he stared into the other man's eyes. Hank closed his fists for a moment before he sighed and let his hands relax, looking defeated.

"The protests went wrong." he confessed, making Erik turn to look at him, waiting for more information. "I was listening to the radio while you guys were talking. Humans attacked first at the New York City Hall. The whole thing turned into a bloodbath. A civil war is coming. And, besides, I'm always by your side, am I not?"

Charles' expression softened at that, giving Hank a small nod before lifting his eyes up at Erik. "Is there space for my students in Genosha? They won't be safe at the house. Not anymore…"

"We'll keep them safe." Charles smiled at Erik's words, fingers brushing slightly with his for a moment before the elevator doors opened.

"Together?" Charles asked, looking at the metal interior of the elevator as Erik moved his hand to push him inside gently.

"Together."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments and kuddos are always appreciated! ❤️
> 
> Find me on [tumblr!](http://hellfre.tumblr.com)


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